


Promises

by Something_03



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Gen, I'm Sorry, Maybe OOC, My First Fanfic, i don't know how to tag, i'm not completely sure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:47:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23384749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Something_03/pseuds/Something_03
Summary: "Don't make promises you can't keep"It was a sentence which Akaashi had said more than once to Bokuto. Not because he thought that Bokuto couldn't keep his promises but because he didn't want Bokuto to be disappointed with himself.Most of the time though, Bokuto managed to keep his promises.Until one day, he can't.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Promises

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, this is my first fanfiction for the Haikyuu fandom, so I wanted to apologize beforehand if I didn't manage to write the characters correctly or if something doesn't make sense.  
> I'm also sorry if there are grammatical/spelling mistakes, I'm not a native english speaker.

_„Don't make promises you can't keep.“_

~ ~ ~

„Hey, Akaashi!“  
Akaashi Keiji flinched slightly when he heard the loud voice of his Senpai.  
Bokuto Koutarou.  
Wearing his usual, neutral expression, Akaashi stopped walking and waited until the second year caught up to him. Like Akaashi, he probably was on the way to the gym, since the training of the Volleyballclub would start soon.  
„Hello, Bokuto-San“, he greeted his teammate and walked with him to the gym.  
While they were walking, Bokuto talked about his day and about Volleyball, but he also asked Akaashi questions from time to time to involve him into the conversation. Even if Bokuto talked enough for the both of them, he probably didn't just want someone to listen to him but really wanted to talk with the younger boy.  
Though Akaashi didn't know if they were actually friends.  
He guessed that they were, considering how often Bokuto talked with him. And he also often trained with Akaashi but since he was a setter, that wasn't something special, Akaashi thought.  
„Are you listening to me?“, Bokuto interrupted his thoughts.  
„I'm sorry, Bokuto-San“, Akaashi said and gave him an apologetic look and asked him,“Could you repeat that?“  
Bokuto laughed slightly and repeated his question: „I asked if you could stay behind and train with me a bit longer today. My spikes need to get better if I want to become the Ace of Fukurodani!“  
The darkhaired boy sighed softly. Partly because that meant that he would need longer until he finished his homework, partly because the last time the two of them trained together, Bokuto missed missed one of his sets and went into his emo-mode again. The setter didn't want to be disrespectful but sometimes he wondered how it could be that Bokuto was the older one.  
„Of course“, he answered which caused the other one to smile again.  
„Cool! Thanks, Akaashi!“, he shouted so loud, you could probably hear it in the other classrooms, „You'll see, Akaashi! First, I'll become the best spiker of the whole prefecture and then the best in japan! Promise!“  
Akaashi couldn't help but roll his eyes a bit. „You shouldn't make promises if you're not sure you can keep them...“, he said but still had to smile at the enthusiasm of his senpai.

~ ~ ~

It was now Akaashi's second year at the Fukurodani Academy, which meant it was also Bokuto's third year. And since the loud student was now a third year, he also was the captain of the volleyball-team.  
Akaashi didn't doubt that Bokuto would be a good captain, despite his emo-phases. He was determined and by now he had even become the Number 5 Ace of japan. Even if he would go into emo-mode again, the team would be there to help him up again.  
On the first day of school, Akaashi walked to the gym with him again. By now it was habit for the two friends – yes, Akaashi admitted by now that they were friends – to meet up after lessons had ended and make their way to the club together. Most of the time, they met in front of Bokuto's classroom, since Akaashi got there faster than Bokuto got to Akaashi's classroom.  
But Today, Bokuto was fidgeting and seemed a bit nervous while walking next to the setter.  
“Are you excited?”, Akaashi finally asked, which caused the ace to scratch the back of his head and nod.  
“Well, it's my first day as the official captain! It's cool but I'm also...nervous I guess...”, his friend explained to him, looking down on the floor.  
Well, that was new.  
Akaashi hadn't experienced Bokuto being insecure or nervous until now.  
Dejected? Sometimes.  
Dramatic? Often.  
But nervous? That's something Akaashi had only seen last year when they went to the nationals. Even when they had practice matches he normally was confident.  
“Everything's gonna be fine, Bokuto-san”, was the only thing Akaashi could think of at the moment. But he also thought that that was the truth, he thought that Bokuto would be a good captain.  
Those words seemed to cheer him up again.  
“You really think so, Akaashi?!”, he asked with a bright smile on his face, whereupon Akaashi only nodded. But that nod apparently was enough because Bokuto quickly started to act again like he usually would.  
“Yeah, you're right! I'll be the best Captain Fukurodani ever had!”  
'That wasn't quite what I said...', the setter thought and looked at Bokuto.  
“Don't make promises you can't keep for sure...Otherwise you'll disappoint yourself.”

~ ~ ~

The end of the year was getting closer.  
Slowly, Akaashi realized this as well.  
And he also realized what that would mean for Bokuto and him.  
He had actually known it from the start. From the moment on he considered Bokuto his best friend he knew that it would eventually come to this.  
The two weren't in the same grade.  
Bokuto would graduate this year and leave Fukurodani, while Akaashi would have to stay another year.  
However, it didn't matter how aware he was of that fact. The thought that this would be his last year with Bokuto still hurt.  
And no matter how much Akaashi tried, his thoughts kept going back to this fact. Especially when he trained with Bokuto.  
“Woohoo!”  
Bokutos triumphant shout brought him back into the real world. Most of the other club members had already gone but the two friends had stayed longer, like they often did.  
“Akaashi! You didn't even look!”, Bokuto pouted after he saw Akaashi's expression,”What's up? You're distracted lately...That's not like you at all!”  
The setter hesitated for a moment. Should he tell him the truth? Wasn't it stupid to be distracted because of something like that? After all, it had been clear that this day would eventually come.  
After thinking for a bit, Akaashi looked away and started to explain: “It's just...this year is our last year together at this school. After that, you're gone and I know it sounds stupid, but-”  
“You're scared that we'll lose touch?”, his friend interrupted him and managed to say what Akaashi struggled to admit.  
Yes, he was scared.  
Scared, that this friendship would end like so many other school friendships.  
Akaashi didn't want that to happen.  
After a nod from Akaashi, Bokuto got closer to him and put his hands on Akaashi's shoulders.  
“Hey, that's not stupid. I get it. After all, it's a whole year and a lot can happen...”, Bokuto said with an almost sad expression on his face before putting on his familiar smile, “But don't worry! I'll visit you! And we'll text each other of course! We'll stay friends, no matter which college or school, I promise.”  
Once more Akaashi had to smile and hugged Bokuto hesitantly. That surprised the older one but he still hugged him back.  
“Thank you...but I've said that before, don't make promises you can't keep for sure. You know how school friendships end most of the time”, Akaashi told him unusually quiet.  
Bokuto huffed, almost sounding slightly offended. “Promised is Promised! I don't go back on my promises!”  
Akaashi had to laugh slightly and enjoyed the hug as long as he could.  
“Of course you don't, Bokuto-san.”  
“...Bokuto.”  
“What?”  
“Just Bokuto, Akaashi. Drop the “-san”. We're friends, right?”  
“Of course...Bokuto.”

~ ~ ~

The rest of the year and the nationals went by fast.  
To fast for Akaashi's taste.  
But he was happy that he had gotten the opportunity to toss to Akaashi one last time.  
On the last day of school he had talked once more with Bokuto.  
“You'll see, the year will be over before you know it! And I'm going to visit you, I promise”, Bokuto told him with a smile, even if on the inside, he himself wasn't too sure if he would be able to pull through the time without Akaashi as easy as he said.  
“I know and I'm looking forward to it”, Akaashi said, not being able to meet his friend's eyes. He didn't want Bokuto to see the hurt look in his eyes.  
It would be a long year for both of them.  
“Ah, I almost forgot! I still have something for you!” Saying that, Boktuo started to look through his bag until he pulled out something white and gray.  
After a closer look, Akaashi saw that it was a plushy that looked like an owl.  
“Maybe a bit quieter than me but he'll be a good stand-in!”  
“Really? A plushy?”, Akaashi asked surprised and looked from the animal in his hand to his friend.  
“You don't like it...?”  
He noticed how insecure Bokuto's voice sounded and quickly shook his head.  
“Of course I like it”, Akaashi told him with a small smile, “I'll take good care of it. Thank you, Bokuto.”

~ ~ ~

Bokuto actually did keep his promise.  
They texted almost every day, even if Bokuto mostly just complained about his classes or talked about his new team.  
So all in all, things didn't change much.  
And soon they would finally meet again. Bokuto had promised to visit him and he even would watch one of Fukurodani's practice matches. Akaashi couldn't express how happy he was to finally see him again.  
But in the week before Bokuto's visit, he suddenly stopped answering his texts.  
Akaashi assumed that he probably was just busy with homework or training so he shrugged it off. Ignoring the feeling in his stomach, he sent another text that Bokuto should just answer when he could find the time for it.  
Then he saw the new.  
A car accident close to Bokuto's college.  
Four people were injured, one was dead.  
It wasn't a very long report. The monotone sounding reporter only talked about it shortly before moving on to the next subject.  
Akaashi tried to hold onto his last thread of hope that Bokuto wasn't involved in it. That it was just a mistake. Bokuto just couldn't have anything to do with this.  
But shortly afterwards he got a call from Bokuto's mother. She cried and could barely string sentences together.  
“Akaashi-san...I'm not sure if you heard of it but...the accident in the news...”  
She started to sob again while Akaashi held onto his phone tightly. Even though he knew what she was going to say, he waited for her to keep talking.  
“Koutarou...Koutarou is...”  
“I'm sorry for your loss...”, he said as he noticed that the woman couldn't continue her sentence, trying to hold back his own tears.  
After Bokuto's mother hung up, he only sat on his bad, starring at the wall.  
Dead.  
Bokuto Koutarou was dead.  
Akaashi wasn't able to get that into his head. It was as if he was trying to convince himself of something completely absurd like that the sky was purple or that fire was cold.  
It was so simple but still, Akaashi just didn't want to accept it.  
He didn't know how long he was sitting there until his eyes found the owl plushy. It was sitting on his desk ever since he had gotten it from Bokuto. He normally would only take it away from there, when he couldn't fall asleep. Akaashi then would just hold the plushy in his arms until he finally fell asleep.  
Shakily, Akaashi stood up and picked up the soft animal.  
He remembered the warm feeling he felt in his chest when he had gotten it.  
He remembered Bokuto's grin when he gave it to him.  
The bright smile which he would never see again.  
The loud voice which he would never hear again.  
The happy shouting, after he had made another point, the dramatic words after their opponents blocked his spike and the laugh that could cheer up everyone.  
Akaashi wouldn't be able to hear or see any of that ever again.  
He would never toss him again and he would never see him again.  
He only noticed the tears running down his face as he pressed the plushy to his chest.

“I told you...don't make promises you can't keep...Bokuto...”


End file.
